Personal Narrative: Crane Lake Camp

I had the most epic summer ever. When school ended, my mom shipped me off to Crane Lake Camp for my fifth year. I appreciated the Berkshire scenery for a month and made the friends of a lifetime. My favorite part of camp was simply hanging out under the huge oak trees with my friends while watching the sunset. On the 4th of July, we celebrated with carnival games and a bouncy house. We played all day and watched the fireworks on the beach at night. After that, we stayed up all night watching movies. We won Fight Song, our annual lyrical competition, and that night we were on top of the world/invincible. A few days later, our group traveled to Montreal where we fought in laser tag, raced in ice skates, screamed at 6 flags, and slept in dingy dorm rooms.

Although our sleeping quarters were not the best, it was one of the best experiences I had this summer.

When we arrived back to camp, the football coach announced that try-outs would be in 3 days. So, my friend and I arrived and compete against 30 other girls for 14 spots. We struggled until we were breathless and drenched in sweat, but we made the team! I made running back and my friend was a linebacker. Although we lost our first two games, we won the third, which was the first football game won in Crane Lake history. A week later color war broke out and I was placed on the blue team. Although my team didn’t win, we came to a close second and worked our hearts out to get there. On one of the last nights, we slept under stars on an overnight and although it was a bit cramped in the tent, we could not have been any closer together. Camp is my home away from

home.
After camp was over, I enrolled in a cyber security program at NYU Poly. There I learned the basics of cyber security through games, scavenger hunts, and fun activities. In groups, we solved “murder” cases and “jewelry heists” using our newfound cyber security skills. In addition, I made a few new friends that go to Tech. On the last day, all of skills were tested in the most difficult multi-step murder case. Eventually, we worked together and solved it. Even though it was only a week program, I learned a lot and may want to pursue the field in the future.
After that, I went on a road trip with my mom to Cape Cod, Boston, and Maine. At the Cape, I visited my camp friend Ellie, and we talked for hours about anime, fantasy books, and camp. After my day with Ellie, my mom and I went shopping and bought a bunch of tourist clothes. The next day we were off to Boston, my mom’s old college town. There we walked around Harvard Square, visited North Eastern University, took a tour inside a huge glass globe, and walked the freedom trail. My favorite part was the glass globe because at the center you could hear your own voice, which was awesome. We left Cambridge and drove to Salem, Massachusetts. In the empty parking lot, my mom gave me driving lessons, which was surprisingly easy. Although it wasn’t quite like Mario Kart, I still got the hang of it easily. In Salem, we went to a witch museum and learned the devastating history of the town. After that, we continued driving to Maine. Once we arrived, I convinced my mom to go shooting with me at L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery School. We shot our first gun together and while she disliked it, I thought it was fun. We spent a couple more days and chilled at our hotel until we drove back home. I had the best summer ever.